Improvement in hydraulic elevators



M. P. HIGGINS HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

Patented Aug. 22, 1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILTON P. HIGGINS, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENTIN HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [81,263, dated August22, 1876; application filed J une 7, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, MILTON P. HIGGINS,of the city and county ofWorcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved HydraulicElevator, of which the following is the specification:

The objects of my invention are, first, to utilize, for operatingfreight or passenger elevators, the power derived from the difference inthe hydraulic pressure between the high and low service-pipes in citysupplies,.whereby there is no waste or consumption of water i. 6., thewater is taken from the high servicepipes, using the power derivedtherefrom; it is then discharged by forcing it into the lowservice-pipes, from which it is available for use second, to provide aready and convenient means for efficiently operating the action of thevalve; third, by a peculiar construc tion of the operating parts of thevalve or valves, to give to the operator complete control of the car,and insure an easy, uniform motion to the elevator when the water is leton or shut off fourth, by a peculiar construc- I tion of the valve, toobtain a perforated waterport, so the cup-leathers will pass itsmoothly.

These objects are obtained by the combination of any suitable form ofhydraulic elevator and the two city service-pipes I and K, K having ahydraulic head less than I, and the valve D, or its equivalent, as shownin the drawing, Fig. 1. In this case I have shown the form of elevatorknown as the direct-acting hydraulic elevator.

A is an ordinary passenger or freight car. 0 is the water-cylinder,terminating with a cone, M, at its lower extremity, to facilitate thesinking of the cylinder into the earth to a depth equal to the heightthe elevator is to run. The plunger B is finished cylindrical its entirelength, and passes through a hydraulic packing at b. The cylinder-pipebeing considerably larger in diameter than the plunger leaves a freepassage for the water down the annular space around the plunger, whichplunger is raised with a force due to its area into the water-pressureat the packing I). G is the pipe conducting the water from the highservice-pipe I to the valve D, and when the valve is in a certainposition the water has free passage into the valve, through the Valve,

and to the cylinder through the pipe F. The elevator is consequentlyforced upward until the valve is so changed as to shut off the ingressof the high service-water, when the elevator remains fixed until afurther change is made in the position of the valve which opens thepassage through the pipe H into the low service-pipe K. The weight ofthe car and plunger is sufficient to cause it to run down against thislow pressure, and thus force the water out of the cylinder into the lowservicepipe K, thus using the power derived from the difference ofpressure in the two servicepipes, and returning the water into thelowpressure service without waste or deterioration. The construction ofthe lower end of the plunger is shown in Fig. 2. L is a plug screwedinto the pipe B, having a passage, R, to admit water into the plunger.This plug has portions projecting somewhat outside of the plunger, sothat its finished surface may not come in contact with the inside of thewater-cylinder.

My improved means of operating the valve is shown in Fig. l, and indetail in Figs. 3and v 4. The valve has a vertical motion in thevalve-cylinder D by means of the rack on the valve-stem, operated bythepinion on the axle of the wheel E.' A flexible cord passing aroundthe wheel E passes around two pulleys, N O, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.These pulleys are attached to the outside of the car, the pulley 0having a slight lateral motion on its axle, so that when the tensioncomes on the cord the pulleys are drawn together, and the cord issomewhat pressed between them. The axle of the pulley N passes throughthe sideof the car, and carries a hand-wheel on the inside of the car,by which the pulleys N O are operated, and the flexible cord moved ineither direction, at the will of the operator.

I am aware that a method for controlling the motion of the car by anendless cord has been in use 5 but in all cases, so far as I know, asingle pulley has been used at N, and in consequence of this it has beenimpossible to run the flexible cord without so much crowding and chafingas to make it very objectionable, particularly in view of the tensionnecessary to keep it in working condition.

My improved valve is shown in section in Fig. 3. It consists of acylinder and apistonrod with three heads, with cup-leather packings. Theupper and lower heads are employed in order that the valve may always beexactly balanced, whatever the pressure may be through the pipes G andH. Thus far the construction of the valve is wcll known 5 but, so far asI know, the method shown for giving the slow motion to the moving partsof the valve, as shown at L, and the peculiar construction withreference to the perforated port at'M, has never been used-perforatedports generally being made by inserting a lining into thevalve-cylinder. In my valve the cylinder consists of two pieces ofmetalput together by inserting one piece, S, (previously perforated,)into the bell-shaped end of the other, It, thus making a continuouscylinder, with perforated port, without the expense of a lining in thevalve-cylinder, as shown in the drawing at M. Asthe water comes inthrough the pipe Git passes through the small pertorationsoutward intothe annular space M, which entirely surrounds the perforated partitionand passes out the pipe F.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, substantially asdescribed, of a hydraulic elevator, with two services of difi'erentheads or pressures, and the valve D, or its equivalent, as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In a hydraulic elevator, substantially as described, the combinationof the flexible cord and two or more pulleys, N O, and the valvegear E,when combined and operated in the manner as and for the purposesdescribed.

3. A water-valve having a perforated port, constructed as and for thepurposes described, consisting of a cylinder of two parts, R and S, Shaving a perforated portion inserted into the bell mouth or enlargedpart of the other,

It, as above set forth.

M. P. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

SAML. A. ARNOLD, JAMES GREENE.

